THE INSIDER AUTHORITY ON GATOR SPORTS

Florida Makes a Regional

After floundering through the last month of the season, Kevin O’sullivan and his baseball team had to wait until today to find out their post-season fate.

The Gators have never failed to make it to a regional with Sully as their head coach but after losing their last three conference series and getting ousted in the first round of the SEC tournament, that streak appeared to be in jeopardy.

The Gators played the toughest schedule in the country and had an RPI of 26. While they had to play the waiting game, Florida was ultimately awarded with an NCAA Tournament berth and will travel to Bloomington, Indiana. Indiana, Valparaiso, Florida and Austin Peay make up the four team regional.

The Gators will take on Austin Peay in the first game this Friday. The Governors have won three consecutive Ohio Valley Conference titles and have the nation’s longest winning steak at 15 games. The Governors have six players hitting over .320 and their three main starters have a combined record of 24-5.

The Gators will likely face Lee Ridenhour in the opening game of the regional. Ridenhour is 7-1 on the season with a 2.22 ERA, 64 strikeouts in 77.0 innings pitched.

Florida will have their hands full in a regional with Indiana who shot onto the national stage this season and will host the first regional in school history. However, if Florida and Florida State both advance from their regionals, the Gators and Noles would play in a Super Regional for the right to take a summer trip out to Omaha.

Quick Hitters:

SEC had the most teams make it to the post season with 9 schools heading to a regional. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

North Carolina is the top overall seed followed by Vanderbilt, Oregon State, LSU, Cal State Fullerton, Virginia, Florida State and Oregon.

About Nick de la Torre

A South Florida native, Nick developed a passion for all things sports at a very young age. His love for baseball was solidified when he saw Al Leiter’s no-hitter for the Marlins live in May of 1996. He was able to play baseball in college but quickly realized there isn’t much of a market for short, slow outfielders that hit around the Mendoza line. Wanting to continue with sports in some capacity he studied journalism at the University of Central Florida. Nick got his first start in the business as an intern for a website covering all things related to the NFL draft before spending two seasons covering the Florida football team at Bleacher Report. That job led him to GatorCountry. When he isn’t covering Gator sports, Nick enjoys hitting way too many shots on the golf course, attempting to keep up with his favorite t.v. shows and watching the Heat, Dolphins and Marlins. Follow him on twitter @NickdelatorreGC

After floundering through the last month of the season, Kevin O’sullivan and his baseball team had to wait until today to find out their post-season fate.

The Gators have never failed to make it to a regional with Sully as their head coach but after losing their last three conference series and getting ousted in the first round of the SEC tournament, that streak appeared to be in jeopardy.

The Gators played the toughest schedule in the country and had an RPI of 26. While they had to play the waiting game, Florida was ultimately awarded with an NCAA Tournament berth and will travel to Bloomington, Indiana. Indiana, Valparaiso, Florida and Austin Peay make up the four team regional.

The Gators will take on Austin Peay in the first game this Friday. The Governors have won three consecutive Ohio Valley Conference titles and have the nation’s longest winning steak at 15 games. The Governors have six players hitting over .320 and their three main starters have a combined record of 24-5.

The Gators will likely face Lee Ridenhour in the opening game of the regional. Ridenhour is 7-1 on the season with a 2.22 ERA, 64 strikeouts in 77.0 innings pitched.

Florida will have their hands full in a regional with Indiana who shot onto the national stage this season and will host the first regional in school history. However, if Florida and Florida State both advance from their regionals, the Gators and Noles would play in a Super Regional for the right to take a summer trip out to Omaha.

Quick Hitters:

SEC had the most teams make it to the post season with 9 schools heading to a regional. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

North Carolina is the top overall seed followed by Vanderbilt, Oregon State, LSU, Cal State Fullerton, Virginia, Florida State and Oregon.

Nick de la TorreNickde la Torrenick@gatorcountry.comAuthorA South Florida native, Nick developed a passion for all things sports at a very young age. His love for baseball was solidified when he saw Al Leiter’s no-hitter for the Marlins live in May of 1996. He was able to play baseball in college but quickly realized there isn’t much of a market for short, slow outfielders that hit around the Mendoza line. Wanting to continue with sports in some capacity he studied journalism at the University of Central Florida. Nick got his first start in the business as an intern for a website covering all things related to the NFL draft before spending two seasons covering the Florida football team at Bleacher Report. That job led him to GatorCountry. When he isn’t covering Gator sports, Nick enjoys hitting way too many shots on the golf course, attempting to keep up with his favorite t.v. shows and watching the Heat, Dolphins and Marlins. Follow him on twitter @NickdelatorreGCGatorCountry.com